MY GENERAL WORK
Creating Vlogs for YouTube is fun, but getting good images during them is only sometimes possible. In someways, the vlogging is distracting. This section is dedicated to the images I take for myself. See also the black and White section, as most are general images like these.
Mostly just me and the one camera.
Update - I now add some “other” images from my Vlogs here.
Scottish fare
What could be more Scottish than a single malt whisky with a Tunnock’s Caramel Wafer or a Tunnock’s Tea Cake?
This still life was created during a club night shoot, combining two classic Scottish favourites. I had recently acquired four Edinburgh Crystal whisky glasses engraved for the Tunnock’s company centenary in 1990, so when our local photography club held a “Food” themed still life evening, I couldn’t resist putting this little tribute together.
Nikon ZF
Tamron 28-75mm f2.8
Godox Flash
Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS over Stirling
Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS (C/2023 A3) high above Stirling and the Campsie Hills. With cloud dominating the weather for several days, I had only one opportunity to try to capture the comet, on October 14th, which had been predicted as the best viewing night.
I drove to a nearby vantage point just ten minutes from home with my neighbour and his two teenage sons. At first there was no sign of the comet at all, and several test shots along the horizon showed nothing. By chance I finally caught it right at the top of one frame, much higher in the sky than I had expected.
After resetting the tripod I was able to record a few images before high cloud moved in and quickly obscured both the comet and its tail. I had hoped to frame it above Stirling Castle, just out of view to the right, but the opportunity disappeared within minutes.
As a small bonus, the three who came with me were each able to take a photograph using my camera. I later printed their images with their names credited on them.
Land detail has been lifted slightly in Lightroom, as the foreground was almost completely dark at the time. The additional streaks in the sky are of unknown origin, possibly aircraft, satellites or meteors.
Nikon D850
150mm — Sigma 150-600mm f5-6.3
3s — ISO 1000
October 2024
Aurora at Shieldbank
Aurora seen from Shieldbank Vaulting Centre during the second major display of the year on 10th October. Several members of my local photography club had gathered at our usual meeting place after reports of strong activity.
At first we could only see a faint red glow behind the trees, but after moving slightly to one side the full display suddenly came into view. The brightness of the red aurora was unlike anything I had seen before, and far stronger than it appears in the photograph.
In fact, the colour in the final image has been toned down slightly, as the original was so intense it almost looked unreal. It was one of those rare nights when the sky seemed to change every few seconds, and everyone present knew we were witnessing something special.
This location gives a clear 360-degree view of the sky, and with the car parked only a short distance away it was an ideal place to watch the display.
Nikon D850
14mm — Nikkor 14-24mm f2.8
8s — ISO 800
October 2024
Aurora and car
This was taken on the 10th of October. The 2nd “big” aurora this year. The best was to the East, this is later and looking North West. I’d just started the capture when a car appeared over the crest and drove through the scene. I thought it had ruined the image, but I quite like the result. This and others taken at Shieldbank Vaulting Centre, and is where my local photo club meets up. The car was parked just a short distance behind me, and from here, I had a 360-degree view of a fabulous aurora.
Nikon D850
f6.3
15mm. (Nikkor 14-24mm f2.8)
20s
ISO 800
October 2014
Forth Road Bridge and Forth Bridge
The Forth Road Bridge with the Forth Rail Bridge beyond, photographed during one of two consecutive evenings of perfectly calm water at slack tide.
This image was taken from the breakwater at Port Edgar Marina, a location that at the time gave an excellent viewpoint across the Forth. Unfortunately access to the exact spot is now restricted by fencing, although a similar composition can still be found nearby.
Conditions were ideal, with almost no wind and very little movement in the water, allowing the reflections to remain clear during the exposure. Nights like this are quite rare, which made the effort of returning on consecutive evenings worthwhile.
Photographed using my Nikon D7000, which I was using at the time, with a wide-angle lens to include both bridges in the frame.
Nikon D7000
18mm — ISO 100 — f8
March 2014
Wild Garlic – Torryburn, Fife
Wild garlic in woodland near Torryburn, Fife. I discovered this location thanks to the help of the photography community online after searching for a suitable patch of wild garlic closer to home without success.
After seeing an image posted in a Facebook group, I was able to identify the area and visit the spot myself. The scene was exactly what I had hoped for, with the flowers stretching much further across the woodland floor than I first expected, making it perfect for a wide composition.
Because of my ongoing difficulties with focusing accuracy, this photograph was created using focus stacking. Each section of the scene was captured several times with different focus points, and then combined to give sharpness from front to back.
In total this image is made from 28 photographs, blended first as stacked images and then merged into a panorama. The walk to the location was short, and I was never far from the car, which made the extra work manageable.
Nikon D850
31mm — Nikkor 24-70mm f2.8
1/8s — ISO 400
Focus stack, 28 images
May 2024
Windy Path through Wild Garlic
A winding path through a carpet of wild garlic near Torryburn in Fife. This was one of those moments where the best view appeared when I turned around to look back the way I had come, something I always try to remember when walking with the camera.
I discovered this location with the help of the online photography community after struggling to find a good wild garlic woodland locally. After seeing an image posted in a Facebook group, I asked a few questions and was soon able to visit the spot myself.
The area produced several images I am very pleased with, and the short walk from the car made it an easy place to work slowly and try different compositions. This photograph was focus stacked to keep the detail sharp from front to back.
I am still working on getting the clarity I would like from this image and the previous one, but the scene itself made the effort worthwhile.
Nikon D850
29mm — Nikkor 24–70mm f2.8
f11 — 1/6s — ISO 400
Focus stack, 4 images
May 2024
Wild Garlic Tree
A lone tree standing among a wide spread of wild garlic near Torryburn, Fife. Despite the name, it is not a wild garlic tree of course, just a tree surrounded by one of the best displays of garlic flowers I have managed to find locally.
I located this spot with the help of photographers online after searching unsuccessfully for some time. When I saw an image from this woodland posted in a Facebook group, I knew it was worth the trip, and it turned out to be exactly the sort of scene I had been hoping for.
Several photographs from this visit worked well, and the location was easy to reach, with the car never more than a short walk away. That made it possible to take my time and try different viewpoints without rushing.
Nikon D850
29mm — Nikkor 24–70mm f2.8
f7.1 — 1/20s — ISO 400
May 2024
Sun Setting in the Arms of the Trees
Sunset behind the Ochil Hills, framed by two trees near our photography club meeting place. This was taken on the way back from a club outing to Dollar, when several of us stopped to watch the sun dropping behind the hills.
Our club venue has a clear view to the north and west, and on this evening the light lined up perfectly with the trees. I first photographed the full scene, but preferred this tighter composition, which gives a more intimate feel and makes better use of the natural framing.
Moments like this never last long, so the shot had to be taken quickly before the sun disappeared completely.
Nikon Z fc
250mm — Nikkor DX 50–250mm f4.5–6.3
f16 — 1/500s — ISO 100
May 2024
Cherry Blossom Washing Away
Fallen cherry blossom caught in the flowing water beside Dollar Burn. This was taken during a photography club visit a few days after my earlier trip to the same location, just as the blossom was starting to fall heavily and would soon be gone.
We had been photographing along the bank for a while when I noticed the petals collecting around a small rock in the stream. The light was fading quickly and I had no tripod with me, so I had to rely on the camera’s stabilisation while using a long lens.
The exposure was much slower than normally recommended for this focal length, but modern image stabilisation made it possible to keep the rock and petals sharp while allowing the water to blur slightly around them. The focus was placed on the front rock, which leaves the one behind just softly out of focus.
Nikon Z fc
195mm — Nikkor DX 50–250mm f4.5–6.3
f10 — 1/15s — ISO 250
May 2024
Aberdour Pier (Monochrome)
Aberdour Pier photographed on a very windy afternoon on the Fife coast. I had hoped for dramatic waves breaking against the harbour wall, but the pier itself was well sheltered and the water inside remained relatively calm.
Although this was not my favourite image from the session, several fellow photographers preferred this composition, so it earned its place in the gallery. Converting to black and white helped simplify the scene and emphasise the shape of the pier against the water.
Sometimes the quieter images turn out to be the ones people notice most.
Nikon Z fc
23mm — 4s — f8 — ISO 100
April 2024
Dog
The camera club I belong to was doing a “Photograph your pet” night. While the others used flash, I just used the lamps lighting the subject between flashes. This is the studio owner’s dog, and she was posing well, looking at the cameras but at this point she looked towards the lamp. I went for a “His Masters Voice” type of image. I like what I got even with a very high ISO.
Nikon Zfc
f6
43mm
1/1000s
ISO 51200
March 2024
Tree line
The plan was to do some woodland photography, but my ageing dog, Duke, decided he wasn’t going to walk, so I headed home. Just a very short distance away, I saw this treeline to the side of the road. As the camera was out and ready, I stepped out of the car and took a few images. This one I decided to convert to Black and White as it just added a touch of drama to the scene.
Nikon Zfc
f9
32.5mm
1/640s
ISO 100
February 2024
Lambs
Taken a few years ago. A group of young sheep or older lambs, depending on your viewpoint. The RAW file has them very dark against the sky, but with very little work in post an acceptable image appears. Taken from the side of the road to Denny from Fintry in the Carron Glen.
July 2016
Scrooge
A studio shot with my camera club. Single light source (flash) to the left of the image. In hindsight maybe the candle should have been on the other side. BUT that may have cast a shadow which would have looked odd. Edited in Lightroom where I opted for the more orange glow rather than a more white light.
Nikon Zfc. f8, 1/125sec, ISO 100, ARTLAB / Nonikkor 35mm f1.4 lens set to f16 where others had theirs at f5.6. To me, it shows how that lens gobbles light!
December 2023
Woodland Fungi
Back in my favourite woods, I found this lovely bunch of mushrooms. No tripod, APS-C camera and low light. No worries, just rest the camera on a log, use a shutter delay and hold it carefully. The great thing about the Zfc is the articulated screen. No need to get too low myself to get the shot. I have reduced clarity and Texture very slightly in a bid to get a “magical” feel. Not sure it worked. I am not keen on taking those settings right down.
Nikon Zfc. f8, 1/40sec, ISO 100, 13mm (7Artisans lens)
AUGUST 2023
Man in Workshop, Portrait - Competition entry
A double image! The speed was too slow to capture a sharp image of the subject and also get the movement of the arm. I took two shots, one with Vic standing still and the second bringing the hammer down. I blended in the moving arm to create one image. Both images are at the same settings as below. The Workshop is dimly lit with old fluorescent lights. We added a studio light but this was not enough to be able to bring the ISO down or the shutter speed up.
Nikon D850. f11 1/4sec 800ISO 24mm
May 2023
Pelican - Edinburgh Zoo
I visited the zoo back in 2019. I like taking an image of animals and being able to have them stand out from the background. This was a dark day and the water was getting really dark. A little tweaking in Lightroom and I got the result I wanted.
Nikon D750. f10 1/500sec 7200ISO 175mm
Las Americas - Tenerife
It had been a bad day for me. ME/Long Covid was still bringing me down, and I’d spent all day in the Hotel. At sunset, I walked across the road to the beach and took some pictures with my new, more portable camera, the Nikon Zfc.
I had taken a few of this family walking towards me, but this shot, my last image, was the best. Yes, I could have had them closer to the camera, but I try hard to avoid taking pictures of children. I even showed this to the parents to be sure they were happy with it, which they were.
The f-stop seems wrong. F11 may have been a better choice for focus throughout. The camera focus peaking assured me it was getting everything in focus, so I trusted it and carried on. A smaller f stop (f8 to f11) would have meant a higher ISO and possible graininess or a slower shutter with the risk of motion blur. I am happy that the camera managed what it did with those settings.
I also had grad grey filters on the camera to stop the sky from blowing out.
Nikon Zfc. f4.5 1/500sec 200ISO 16mm
Glen Coe
I took this while on a walk to the Ralston Monument. The views are spectacular. I stopped here to get one of my favourite shots of all time. I could not have placed these two walkers in a better position if I had tried! I could not believe my luck that one would point towards the three sisters just as I wanted to take the image. In my opinion, the composition is perfect. So many lines lead directly to these walkers, and the outstretched arm takes your eye back to the Three sisters. The hills on either side balance each other off, right down the valley. Their slopes led us to the walkers again and again. The only thing that would have made the image perfect would have been a shaft of sunlight on the pair and a shadowed area behind.
Nikon D850. f11 1/125sec 100ISO 24mm
Glen Coe
This is an 8-shot pano. Relatively large file size that I had to reduce by 75%. As a result, even here, it is a little soft compared to how I see it on my screen before uploading.
I took a walk to the Ralston Monument. A place I had wanted to visit for a very long time. The view is spectacular. I walked up to the outcrop above the monument and took this image.
Nikon D850. f7.1 1/400sec 100ISO 24mm x 8 images blended in Lightroom.
Fire and Ice
This is an additional image to the one shown in the Vlog section. Light painting with wire wool, but despite the pitch dark in this image, I have managed to bring up the Ochil hills 10km away, dappled in snow and Ice.
30Sec, f10 and an ISO of 125. Nikon D850
Old Observatory. Edinburgh
King Charles I
Not my usual type of Image, but I met this nice chap portraying King Charles I at Dunfermline Abbey on the King’s 421st Birthday. The real king was born in the abbey, in a room that would have been behind the windows that we see in the picture.
Glen Affric
An addition to the image in the “YouTube” gallery. Before the snow came, we had rain and low cloud. I quite liked the moody look.
Location image taken:-
57°15'59.1"N 4°59'15.6"W
57.266414, -4.987652
What3Words. ///jets.lightbulb.letter
Oct 2021
Lochan and boat house
I took just a few images and offer two just now. This is the Landscape version I liked the most. To follow is the Portrait orientation version. I don’t know the name but the location is : 56°33'55.0"N 3°57'10.4"W. 56.565268, -3.952888
As Above, Location as Above. Date 28 Aug 21
Fungi